The present invention relates to a valve means and a material supply system including such valve. More specifically, the present invention relates to a valve means and a supply system including such valve for the transfer of normally non-fluent materials.
In numerous manufacturing and material handling operations, it is necessary to transfer normally non-fluent materials, such as, liquids which are too viscous to flow at ambient conditions, comminuted solids, slurries of comminuted solids, materials which are solid and can be liquified at elevated temperatures, etc. The transport of such materials is not a problem, since the transport lnes can be heated to transport materials which are fluent at elevated temperatures and pressure can be applied to such materials, in the heated or unheated state, and to comminuted materials and slurries to cause them to flow. However, problems arise when flow is to be interrupted for some reason. When flow is interrupted, the material being transported will solidify, form plugs of comminuted solids or become viscous, particularly when the flow path includes a restriction, such as, the valve utilized to interrupt flow.
By way of specific example, it is often necessary to supply a lubricant to bearings and other relatively moving surfaces which are at an elevated temperature and accordingly require a lubricant which is normally non-fluent, i.e., is a liquid but too viscous to flow or be pumped at ambient temperatures or is a solid at ambient temperatures. In other instances it is necessary to lubricate relatively moving surfaces which are at elevated temperatures with materials which will not contaminate materials being handled by the system to be lubricated. For example, in certain instances, normally solid plastics or resins are being handled by the item to be lubricated and in order to prevent contamination of the material being handled, the lubricant supplied would also be a plastic or resin of the same character. The transmission of such non-fluent lubricants to the means to be lubricated could obviously become a serious problem. Obviously, the lubricant can be heated in the supply system and pumped or otherwise transported in the fluent condition. However, where such transmission is over a relatively long distance and/or the lubricant must be forced through a restriction, such as a valve or the like, the problem is aggravated. The solution to this problem also appears simple on the surface, since transmission lines can be steam traced or heated by wire-type resistance heaters. However, such heating of the transmission line and/or valves in some instances create problems, by adding heat to a means to be lubricated, which is maintained as cool as possible, or disrupting the heating of a means to be lubricated where such means is to be maintained at a specific accurate temperature, unless the lubricant supply system includes elaborate temperature control means. Even more of a problem is the fact, that when the item to be lubricated is shut down, the lubricant sets up or solidifies in the supply system transition means and/or valves. Again, heating of the supply system can in some instances provide a solution, but it is only a partial solution, since such heating to make the lubricant fluent can cause undue delays in start up and in some instances, even damage equipment such as pumps, which were started before the lubricant is sufficiently fluent to be pumped. These last problems will obviously be greatly aggravated where lubricant is to be supplied periodically or for short periods of time. Obviously maintaining the supply system is a heated condition for long periods of nonuse is highly inefficient.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for overcoming the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide and improved valve means.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved injection valve means.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for transporting normally non-fluent materials.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for intermittently transporting a normally non-fluent material.
Another and further object of the present invention is to provide improved system for transporting a normally non-fluent lubricant to a means to be lubricated.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for intermittently delivering a normally non-fluent material from a source of such material to a point of use of such material.